Barcelona Offer Guardiola New Contract

byPhilip MboyaonNovember 15, 2011

Reigning Spanish and European champions Barcelona have offered coach Pep Guardiola a new contract. Speaking to news agents, Barca president Sandro Rosell confirmed that the club had offered Guardiola a new contract which he could sign when he was ready.

However, a very interesting twist to this news is the fact that Guardiola still remains non committal on his long term affiliation with the club. This is a bit surprising to me considering the fact Guardiola is on course to become one of the club’s most successful coaches.

With 12 titles under his belt in his 3 years with Barca, Guardiola is one of the finest coaches in Spain and a serious contender for the FIFA coach of the year 2011. Few coaches can achieve such a feat and fewer still at such a young age.

According to Rosell, his door is always open for Guardiola and he can choose the length of contract he wishes to sign whenever he wants. I do not know if this is sucking up to Guardiola or whether it is respect, however, what i do know, is that Barca are desperate to keep him at the Camp Nou.

“We are doing everything possible for Guardiola to continue,” Rosell told Al Jazeera. “For him, the door of our office is always open and the contract is ready.

“He can choose to sign for a year, two, three of four. Or even if he wants, he can sign for one year with an option for another one, or an option for two more.

“The contract is on the table for him to feel happy and comfortable. He hope he will say ‘yes’ and that he stays with us.”

Guardiola will remain a Barca coach for the next couple of years, however, i don’t see him sticking around forever. After winning all that he possibly can with the Catalan giants, his hunger for a new challenge will be the motivating factor that will cause him to leave the club.

He has already mentioned that he feels at home in Italy and a move to any of the Serie A clubs cannot be ruled out. Personally, i see Chelsea making an audacious move for Guardiola within the next 2 years that is if they fail to win the Champions League under current coach Andres Villa-Boas.